This article originally published by WVVA-TV

November 29, 2006

Energy of the State

Economic experts say it could mean money and jobs for the Mountain State.

Environmentalists say it's not worth the risk.

The push for alternative energy sources is sweeping the nation and becoming a hot topic in West Viringia. An energy summit in October dealt exclusively with innovative approaches to energy. One of those, coal-to-liquid fuel production, is considered by some to be the future of the coal industry.

Dr. Cal Kent says, "You're gonna get 2 benefits here - energy security for the nation and jobs for West Virginia."

Dr. Kent adds that the Mountain State has at least 300 years of minable coal. He wants to see the state get creative with it's resources.

"We really have phenomenal potential here and most people just don't realize the potential is here in the state and what it can mean for economic development."

Governor Joe Manchin adds, "We have all ridden the highs and the lows of the coal industry. We want to level that off and just give a gradual climb and it's by adding that value, the different things we can do wtih coal and do it in a more cleaner environmentally acceptable way."

The environment is a big concern. A report from the Huntington-based Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition says the negative impacts are alarming. Liquid fuel produced from coal will deliver twice as much carbon dioxide into the environment as petroleum fuels. Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming. Also a concern is that the production of one barrel of coal-to-liquid fuel takes 2 and a half barrels of water. That could pollute the state's water ways.

Industry insiders are talking about the risks and working to find a way to deal with them.

"It's our feeling that those can be if not eliminated they can be mitigated. Certainly they have to be handled and recognized that they're going to be there as we go forward", says Dr. Kent.

Moving forward could be in the very near future. The Senior Vice President of the National Mining Association says with some tax incentives from Congress, plants could be up and running in the next 6 to 8 years. He's looking to the military to get it started.

Dan Gerkin says, "What we're trying to do is jump start the construction of a few plants, hopefully with the support of the Defense Department, get these plants started, get this industry started and then ultimately it can expand beyond the military into commercial markets."

Coal-to-liquid fuel plants can cost upward of a billion dollars to start - an investment that could be just over the horizon for West Virginia.